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HSE Investigates Dorset Attraction Breakdown

7th September 2017

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has now launched an investigation into the breakdown of an attraction based on the South Coast.

When incidents happen at a theme park, workable and an effective emergency response plan really is crucial as the health and safety of the general public, local community, employees and your daily operations could potentially be at risk. It's been well documented in recent years just what can occur when a park's safety protocols aren’t followed as with a recent high profile case that hit the national headlines, however, not all problems can have such life-changing implications, despite still being emergencies.

Take, for example, the breakdown of an attraction based on the South Coast, which the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has now launched an investigation into. The ride is a platform attraction, which suspends visitors in the air, providing them with a great view of the local area, however, when a ride of this kind has a malfunction, it can create several issues for the theme park operation.

During September, visitors were stranded on the ride for six hours before being eventually rescued. Those 14 people stranded on the ride included an 11-month-old baby, according to the local press. The ride was subsequently closed for ten days.

Following this incident, the owner of this particular park have been called on by councillors and business leaders to ensure that lessons are learned and emergency procedures are put in place to ensure visitors can be rescued quickly if the ride stops operating

The HSE, which has the power to bring prosecutions, said it is working with the operator to find out the source of the problem, and hopes to address the timeframe in which it took for the visitors to be winched to safety by the coastguard helicopter.